football firsts
Mansfield Town striker Nicky Maynard talks us through his football memories
First game you watched live?
It might have been Euro 96! I went to watch Denmark against Croatia and that was at Hillsborough. I went with my uncle and would have been about 10 years old. I went to a lot of lower league games as well, but for a big game, that’s the first one I went to.
The chance to see the Laudrups and players like that was great. Croatia won 3-0 in the end, though, with a couple of late goals. It was just by chance that we managed to get tickets.
First football hero?
Ian Wright. Growing up, I always followed Arsenal through my dad, and Ian Wright was the main striker and scored loads. I liked Thierry Henry as well, but I looked up to Ian Wright. He was always on the back of the papers, scoring all the goals, and I hoped that I could emulate what he did.
First and foremost, it was just about scoring goals, but I remember that Arsenal used to have a collared shirt and he used to tuck it in, so I tucked mine in as well to copy him.
First football boots?
The very first Adidas Predators, the big chunky ones, when I was playing Sunday League, but my first pair as a professional were Nike Total 90s. I wanted to get every colour that was out and managed to get a few pairs.
First kit?
It probably would have been
Winsford United in Non-League because my dad used to play for them. It was a kids’ one, not one of my dad’s old ones, but it was still baggy on me.
At one time I had Manchester United, Liverpool, and Arsenal shirts because my mum’s Liverpool, my dad’s Arsenal and then my cousins are Man United!
They were all trying to persuade me to support one team, but I wasn’t really bothered at the time – I was just happy that I had a lot of football shirts! It’s the same now with my kids; they’ve got so many kits now.
First professional game?
I came on at half-time in the Championship for Crewe against Millwall. We were already relegated at the time, so we had nothing to lose.
Before the game, me and another lad – Michael O’Connor – were told that we would come on at half-time to get a feel of things, because we’d been around first-team training, but never had the chance. It was a case of dipping your toes in to see how you go.
First professional goal?
I scored with my first touch in that game, so it was a good introduction! It was a free-kick from the half-way line, lumped up diagonally towards the back post. There was a scramble, the defender missed it and I crept around the back and side-footed it in.
I was trying to anticipate where the ball was going to be – I was never going to beat a defender in the air! I had all my family there, so it was good for them to come and see.
First red card?
My one and only! It was for Bristol City against Sheffield United back in 2011 for a striker’s tackle... I thought it was harsh, but I got a three-game ban and, because it was near the end of the season, it meant that I had an early summer!